Hangin with a former Mr. Nebraska

So today was a little surprise. My cousin Vince and his family showed up from Nebraska at my parents house for their Fourth of July picnic. I haven’t seen Vince since I was 8 but I still remember a picture of him lifting weights with Arnold Schwarzenegger. So of course we start talking weights and tips and tricks. He had a lot more than I had. So what can you learn from one of the fittest almost 50 year olds you’ve ever seen? Here’s what I learned:

1. Mix it up. Never let your muscles become used to a workout. Keep them guessing and they’ll respond.

2. Work in the 10-15 rep range. I’ve been doing a lot of heavy weights and doing 4-6 reps. His biceps are bigger than mine so I’m gonna try 10-15 reps.

3. 75% of your muscle development or lack thereof is made in the kitchen. I knew this but I still felt like it was worth noting. The importance of what you eat is critical to your development. Eat like crap, you’ll probably look like crap. Eat like a fitness freak, you’ll probably start to look more like a fitness freak.

4. Never give up. This man is almost 50! That’s insane! I mean I admire that so much! Men still come to Vince for weightlifting advice, guys that are much younger. I can appreciate a guy that gives back to others.

5. His son benches about 370. This just goes to show that whatever it is we are passionate about will spill over to our kids. I much rather prefer my spillover to be positive.

Thanks Vince for coming out and visiting all the way from Nebraska! Maybe next time you stop in, I’ll have bigger arms than you. I doubt it, but it won’t be because I didn’t try.